Those with an adventurous spirit, a deep love of the great outdoors, and a thrill at the idea of exploration will experience the holiday of a lifetime at Queenstown, New Zealand. With so many things to do at this premier travel destination, we have narrowed a huge list down to only the very best things to do in Queenstown.
Top Things To Do in Queenstown
Picturesque seems an inadequate word to describe the beauty of this bustling town, nestled at the foot of the Remarkables mountains, the crystalline Wakatipu lake at its front door. Queenstown, New Zealand is known as the adventure capital of the world – and for good reason!
Wonder no further about what to do in Queenstown on your visit! In this list, you will find only the best things to do in Queenstown.
Skyline Queenstown
A great deal of what to do in Queenstown is based on exploring great heights – and the journey down from them. The Skyline exemplifies the exhilaration of viewing panoramic views from a great height.
The Skyline is a gondola system that carries adventurers from beautiful Queenstown up to the pinnacle of Bob’s Peak – the height of which is 1,475 feet up a mountainside. During your ten-minute ride up, drink in the views of Queenstown below, and the Remarkables mountains surrounding you.
Once you reach the top, the fun doesn’t stop! There are several activities on Bob’s Peak before making your way down the mountainside. With Maori hakas, lunch and dinner buffets at Stratosfare, and hiking opportunities, it’s a wonderful place to spend a whole day.
You might be wondering if your journey down is via the same gondola that brought you up to this peak. Not so fast, adventurer! The way down the mountain can be a leisurely walking trail – or better yet, luge. That’s right, with options for steepness, you and the family (including kids) zip down to Queenstown below via a luge track.
Booking a combo tour will make the best of the Skyline experience and help maximize your adventure.
Lord of the Rings Adventure
If you’ve dreamt of visiting Middle Earth, thinking there was no way to journey there in reality, we’ve got great news for you. Explore several scenic areas where the Hobbits and Orcs roam, right outside Queenstown.
Make the most out of this journey by immersing yourself completely in the world of Middle Earth. Dress as your favorite characters and explore the forests and glens where Elves make their homes.
Your journey doesn’t just include sites like Saruman’s Tower, but a thrilling adventure taking you around the rugged landscapes of places like Skipper’s Canyon Road and Lighthouse Rock.
Making a full day of this escapade is easy. Join the Lord of the Rings Adventure!
Shotover and Kawarau Rivers
If watersports are your jam, there are plenty to be had on the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers. Each River has great adventures to be had, and experiencing them will give you a once-in-a-lifetime thrill.
The Shotover River offers a great white water rafting experience. Your row machine workouts will pay off when traveling down the Shotover and your heart will start to race as you approach the rush of the Cascade Rapid. The thrill of the white waters will whisk you away on white waters of pure adrenaline.
A different sort of rush will overtake you when you climb aboard your guided jet boat at Lake Wakatipu. That excitement only builds as you start to pick up speed and start racing down the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers. Spins and drifts at 360° will bring you to the height of thrill in this fast-paced journey of a lifetime.
White water rafting the Shotover can be booked through us. The jet boat excursion can be paired with an awesome wine tasting experience.
Wine Tasting Tours
The little-known fact about this region of New Zealand is how rich with local wineries it is. While you may be an adrenaline junkie, taking the time to slow it down over a nice glass of wine – or two – is just the relaxation break you need.
The Central Otago region of New Zealand is home to countless wineries to explore, and there are many tour opportunities to take several in on a laid-back afternoon. After exploring your typical winery on a sun-drenched afternoon, take it underground to a wine cave to make this tour especially unique.
Kiwi Birdlife Park
Take a walk on a different kind of wild side – the side of wildlife! Hard to spot kiwi birds are creatures that most visitors to New Zealand hope to see, however difficult it may be. The difficulties vanish when you take a trip to the Kiwi Birdlife Park.
These adorable flightless little birds are quintessential to New Zealand but are not common enough in the wild to be spotted in populated regions. Resembling soft puffballs of cuteness, you will thrill at the ability to not only pet them but feed them at the Kiwi Birdlife Park.
Kiwis are not the only feathered friends to observe here at the Park. Several other species of birds take sanctuary at the Kiwi Birdlife Park. And you can go feeling great about yourself – conservation is key at the Park.
The Kiwi Birdlife park offers a great educational opportunity and the price of admission helps the conservation of the iconic birds of New Zealand.
Quad Adventure
If rough and rugged is what you are looking for, you have found it with a quad tour of the gorgeous mountains around Queenstown. Your quad group gets full safety training before departure. Then you get your four-wheel drive on as you head out to Queenstown Hill.
The trails offer a challenge and exclusivity. Your camera will fill with stunning pictures of the Queenstown landscape as your tour guide points out beautiful spots to snap. Because you embark on this adventure in a small group, you have a more intimate and exciting experience.
Your tour with us has exclusive rights to use the quad trails on Queenstown Hill, providing you with an unforgettable experience, untainted with overcrowding.
Jack’s Point Golf Course
Visit Queenstown at the right time of year, and the golfer in you is in for a treat. Jack’s Point Golf course is a world-renowned challenging course, surrounded by some of the most natural beauty in the world.
Every hole will have you pulling out your camera as you plan your perfect shot. The Remarkables ring the course, providing breathtaking views. Just behind some of the holes, you can see the true blue of Lake Wakatipu. Your swing will feel carefree and perfect – even if it’s not – as the scenery will alleviate all your cares.
As this is a half-day excursion, you allow yourself plenty of time to pair it with an afternoon of water skiing on Lake Wakatipu or get lost in the Odyssey Sensory Maze. We are happy to set up all these experiences for a perfect day of some of the best things to do in Queenstown.
Queenstown Arts and Crafts Market
Plan your trip to Queenstown with an included Saturday afternoon at the Arts and Crafts Market – you won’t be disappointed. Coming back home without unique and regional souvenirs would be sad, and you don’t want to be sad. A trip to this colorful market is just the cure!
Stalls filled with sellers of precious things, most of them lovingly handcrafted, line the market. Stroll along and pick out the perfect gift to bring home to that certain someone. Grab a bite of local lunch and make a relaxing day of it!
Bungy Jumping/Kawarau Suspension Bridge
The birthplace of Bungy (or bungee) jumping was right here at the Kawarau Suspension Bridge. Local AJ Hackett got this crazy idea for jumping off a bridge with a pray and a length of rope – and thus the biggest adrenaline rush of them all was created.
The plunge over the Kawarau Gorge from a platform in a full-body harness can take a lifetime to build up to – for the most thrilling five seconds of your entire life. All safety procedures are covered and this feat is accomplished by the hundreds safely every day.
Even if you can’t work up the nerve to make this insane jump, you can still feel the thrill of the height of the bridge itself and watch others willfully dive off in aerial acrobatics.
While the dive may not be quite your speed, a zip ride over the clear blue waters of the river below may be for you. Grab a friend, strap in, and get your camera ready for a zipline ride like none other in the entire world.
Book the adventure of adventures and start dreaming of that unforgettable moment your you take the ultimate leap of faith.
